there_is_no_planet_bfandomcom-20200213-history
There is NO PLANet B
1. What is the problem and what evidence is there for the problem? What is the effect of this problem (who is affected, what is affected, where is affected) and what is the scale of this effects? Global warming is the gradual increase in the Earth’s climate due to excess accumulation of heat in the Earth’s surface. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, so it traps heats and prevents it from escaping back into space1. Global warming is leading to significant changes in climate worldwide2, causing ice caps to melt thus increasing sea levels, extreme weather conditions, acidifying oceans. Global warming is currently one of the biggest problems universally and is continuing to get bigger, affecting almost all life on Earth. How global warming effects: Ecosystems – rising temperatures are leading animals to migrate as some can only survive within specific temperature ranges and food webs are disrupted. E.g. the polar ice caps are melting in Antartica is a prime example of a deteriorating ecosystem Species – many species are at risk of extinction. E.g. coral reefs need specific oceanic temperatures and pH to survive. Heat causes coral bleaching, which makes them vulnerable to diseases and causes starvation due to loss of nutrients3 Humans – higher temperatures and humidity are optimal conditions for the spread of mosquito-borne and infectious diseases; thus, such diseases are currently on a rise in many countries in the world3. Cyclones, floods, droughts, and bushfires are getting more frequent which is forcing people to evacuate or lose their homes, placing an economic burden on both the public and government 2. What needs to be changed, what solutions could there be ? (existing or new) United Nations (UN) has established a sustainable development goals aimed to address many worldly issues, including global warming. Human activity is a major factor in heating up the planet. Industrialisation, deforestation, CO2 emissions from cars and the burning of fossil fuels are releasing much higher quantities of CO2 at a faster rate than natural processes5. A 2-degree Celsius rise in the climate is predicted by scientists by 2035 1,4 which will have deleterious effects on life on Earth and we need to do everything we can to prevent this. Preventing further harm to the environment requires urgent action from both individuals and society as a whole Local solutions: * Minimise car usage – use public transport, ride a bike, carpool, invest in a hybrid vehicle * Invest in energy-efficient appliances * Use cold water setting for dishwashers and washing machines and air-dry clothes Bigger solutions: * Vote for leaders who are acting against global warming. E.g. governments that are aiming to add hefty carbon taxes or aiming to end the burning of fossil fuels in Australia * Governments should impose laws that require solar panels to be installed in every home, building, factory, etc. * The government should aim to ban the burning of fossil fuels by 2025contents 4) What are the effects of these solutions on people, environment, society in the short and long term? The ultimate goal is to stop the planet further heating up. The solutions mentioned will have both short- and long-term effects on our planet: * Short term – use of solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and less use of cars will save the public’s money that would have been spent on electricity and fuel. * Long term – Over twenty years, solar energy system in a single home will reduce the equivalent CO2 emissions from over 68000 kilograms of coal burned8. Hence if all homes in Australia make use of solar energy and we completely stop burning fossil fuels we will reduce our carbon footprint and stop the planet from continuing to heat up. Category:Contents __FORCETOC__ __NEWSECTIONLINK__